One Sunday afternoon some time after this they were sailing the summer seas in their dream yacht, and reclining in lazy luxury under the awning¹ of the after-deck. There was silence, for each was busy with his own thoughts. These seasons of silence had insensibly been growing more and more frequent of late; the old nearness and cordiality were waning². Sally's terrible revelation had done its work; Aleck had tried hard to drive the memory of it out of her mind, but it would not go, and the shame and bitterness of it were poisoning her gracious dream life. She could see now (on Sundays) that her husband was becoming a bloated and repulsive³ Thing. She could not close her eyes to this, and in these days she no longer looked at him, Sundays, when she could help it.

But she--was she herself without blemish⁴? Alas⁵, she knew she was not. She was keeping a secret from him, she was acting⁶ dishonorably toward him, and many a pang⁷ it was costing her. SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING⁸ IT FROM HIM. Under strong temptation she had gone into business again; she had risked their whole fortune in a purchase of all the railway systems and coal and steel companies in the country on a margin⁹, and she was now trembling, every Sabbath hour, lest through some chance word of hers he find it out. In her misery¹⁰ and remorse¹¹ for this treachery she could not keep her heart from going out to him in pity; she was filled with compunctions to see him lying there, drunk and contented¹², and ever suspecting. Never suspecting--trusting her with a perfect and pathetic trust, and she holding over him by a thread a possible calamity¹³ of so devastating¹⁴ a--

"SAY--Aleck?"

The interrupting words brought her suddenly to herself. She was grateful to have that persecuting¹⁵ subject from her thoughts, and she answered, with much of the old-time tenderness in her tone:

"Yes, dear."

"Do you know, Aleck, I think we are making a mistake--that is, you are. I mean about the marriage business." He sat up, fat and froggy and benevolent¹⁶, like a bronze Buddha¹⁷, and grew earnest. "Consider--it's more than five years. You've continued the same policy from the start: with every rise, always holding on for five points higher. Always when I think we are going to have some weddings, you see a bigger thing ahead, and I undergo another disappointment. _I_ think you are too hard to please. Some day we'll get left. First, we turned down the dentist and the lawyer. That was all right-- it was sound. Next, we turned down the banker's son and the pork-butcher's heir--right again, and sound. Next, we turned down the Congressman's son and the Governor's--right as a trivet, I confess it. Next the Senator's son and the son of the Vice-President of the United States--perfectly right, there's no permanency about those little distinctions. Then you went for the aristocracy; and I thought we had struck oil at last--yes. We would make a plunge¹⁸ at the Four Hundred, and pull in some ancient lineage, venerable, holy, ineffable¹⁹, mellow²⁰ with the antiquity²¹ of a hundred and fifty years, disinfected of the ancestral odors of salt-cod and pelts²² all of a century ago, and unsmirched by a day's work since, and then! why, then the marriages, of course. But no, along comes a pair a real aristocrats²³ from Europe, and straightway you throw over the half-breeds. It was awfully²⁴ discouraging, Aleck! Since then, what a procession! You turned down the baronets for a pair of barons²⁵; you turned down the barons for a pair of viscounts; the viscounts for a pair of earls; the earls for a pair of marquises; the marquises for a brace²⁶ of dukes. NOW, Aleck, cash in!-- you've played the limit. You've got a job lot of four dukes under the hammer; of four nationalities; all sound in the wind and limb and pedigree, all bankrupt and in debt up to the ears. They come high, but we can afford it. Come, Aleck, don't delay any longer, don't keep up the suspense²⁷: take the whole lay-out, and leave the girls to choose!"

Aleck had been smiling blandly²⁸ and contentedly²⁹ all through this arraignment³⁰ of her marriage policy, a pleasant light, as of triumph with perhaps a nice surprise peeping out through it, rose in her eyes, and she said, as calmly as she could:

"Sally, what would you say to--ROYALTY³¹?"

Prodigious³²! Poor man, it knocked him silly, and he fell over the garboard-strake and barked his shin on the cat-heads. He was dizzy for a moment, then he gathered himself up and limped over and sat down by his wife and beamed his old-time admiration³³ and affection upon her in floods, out of his bleary eyes.

"By George!" he said, fervently³⁴, "Aleck, you ARE great--the greatest woman in the whole earth! I can't ever learn the whole size of you. I can't ever learn the immeasurable deeps of you. Here I've been considering myself qualified³⁵ to criticize your game. _I!_ Why, if I had stopped to think, I'd have known you had a lone³⁶ hand up your sleeve. Now, dear heart, I'm all red-hot impatience--tell me about it!"

The flattered and happy woman put her lips to his ear and whispered a princely name. It made him catch his breath, it lit his face with exultation³⁷.

"Land!" he said, "it's a stunning³⁸ catch! He's got a gambling-hall, and a graveyard³⁹, and a bishop⁴⁰, and a cathedral--all his very own. And all gilt-edged five-hundred-per-cent. stock, every detail of it; the tidiest little property in Europe. and that graveyard-- it's the selectest in the world: none but suicides admitted; YES, sir, and the free-list suspended, too, ALL the time. There isn't much land in the principality, but there's enough: eight hundred acres in the graveyard and forty-two outside. It's a SOVEREIGNTY--that's the main thing; LAND'S nothing. There's plenty land, Sahara's drugged with it."

Aleck glowed; she was profoundly happy. She said:

"Think of it, Sally--it is a family that has never married outside the Royal and Imperial Houses of Europe: our grandchildren will sit upon thrones!"

"True as you live, Aleck--and bear scepters, too; and handle them as naturally and nonchantly as I handle a yardstick⁴¹. it's a grand catch, Aleck. He's corralled, is he? Can't get away? You didn't take him on a margin?"

"No. Trust me for that. He's not a liability, he's an asset. So is the other one."

"Who is it, Aleck?"

"His Royal Highness Sigismund-Siegfriend-Lauenfeld-Dinkelspiel-Schwartzenberg Blutwurst, Hereditary⁴² Grant Duke of Katzenyammer."

"No! You can't mean it!"

"It's as true as I'm sitting here, I give you my word," she answered.

His cup was full, and he hugged her to his heart with rapture⁴³, saying:

"How wonderful it all seems, and how beautiful! It's one of the oldest and noblest of the three hundred and sixty-four ancient German principalities, and one of the few that was allowed to retain its royal estate when Bismarck got done trimming them. I know that farm, I've been there. It's got a rope-walk and a candle-factory and an army. Standing⁴⁴ army. Infantry⁴⁵ and cavalry⁴⁶. Three soldier and a horse. Aleck, it's been a long wait, and full of heartbreak and hope deferred⁴⁷, but God knows I am happy now. Happy, and grateful to you, my own, who have done it all. When is it to be?"

"Next Sunday."

"Good. And we'll want to do these weddings up in the very regalest style that's going. It's properly due to the royal quality of the parties of the first part. Now as I understand it, there is only one kind of marriage that is sacred to royalty, exclusive to royalty: it's the morganatic."

"What do they call it that for, Sally?"

"I don't know; but anyway it's royal, and royal only."

"Then we will insist upon it. More--I will compel it. It is morganatic marriage or none."

"That settles it!" said Sally, rubbing his hands with delight. "And it will be the very first in America. Aleck, it will make Newport sick."

Then they fell silent, and drifted away upon their dream wings to the far regions of the earth to invite all the crowned heads and their families and provide gratis⁴⁸ transportation to them.

这件事过后不久的一天周日下午，当时他们正乘着梦中的游艇在夏日的海面上扬帆远航，斜倚在后甲板的天篷底下俯懒地享受。俩人默默无语，都在忙着想自己的心事。这些日子以来，这种沉默不知不觉地多了起来，最近更加常见。以往的亲密和至诚正在褪色。萨利那次交心种下了恶果；艾莱柯费了好大劲从脑海里驱走那可怕的记忆，可它就是不走。这种记忆的羞耻和苦涩污染了她温馨的幻想生活。如今她看得出来，她的丈夫（每到周日）就变成了一个放荡不羁、人见人烦的家伙。

可是她呢——难道她自己就无可指责吗？唉，她自己明白不是这么回事。她也有件事瞒着他，这是不忠实的行为，为此，她心事重重。她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。在强烈的诱惑下，她又做起了生意；她押上了他们全部的财产，一下子买进了这个国家所有的铁路、煤矿和钢铁企业，现在每逢安息日，她就心惊胆战，惟恐一不留神，泄漏片言只字，让他察觉。由于做了这件对不住丈夫的事，她又痛苦，又懊悔，不由得对丈夫怜悯有加。看到他躺在那儿，喝得醉醺醺、浑浑噩噩、从不疑心，她的心中就充满了悔恨。他从不疑心——全心全意、可怜兮兮地信赖她，头上却高悬着一盆可能倾家荡产的祸水，这祸水就是她放的。

“嗨——艾莱柯？”

萨利突如其来的一句话一下子惊醒了她。摆脱了这件烦心事，她非常高兴，就用往日那种甜蜜的嗓音答道：

“什么事啊，亲爱的。”

“你知道吗，艾莱柯，我觉得咱们犯了个错误——这可是你的错。我是说那件婚姻大事。”他坐了起来，肥肥的青蛙肚，慈眉善目，活像一尊铜佛；他的口气郑重起来了。“想想吧——五年多了。你还守着老规矩，一成不变：只要赚一笔，择婿的档次就提高一档。每到我琢磨着要举行婚礼的时候，你的眼光又高了，让我一回回地失望。我觉得你也太难伺候了。总有一天咱们得落个高不成低不就。头一次，咱们把牙医和律师甩了。也罢——甩得有道理。接着咱们甩了银行老板和猪肉批发商的儿子。这也由他去——甩得有道理。再往后，咱们又没看上众议员和州长家的公子——我承认这也没有什么不妥。接下来是参议员和合众国副总统的公子——做得很对，这种芝麻官做不长远。后来你就瞄上贵族了；我记得当时咱们家的油田终于见油了——对。咱们要在四百家大户里面蓖一遍，网罗一些门第显赫、出身不凡的世家贵胄，这些血统纯正的家族历经一百五十年，具备大家风范，一百年前就除去了祖先身上的咸鱼和老羊皮袄的气味，从那以后就再也没有做过一天苦工，两手清清爽爽。到时候了！该举行婚礼了吧？当然。可是不成，从欧洲来了两个货真价实的贵族，你马上让煮了半熟的鸭子飞了。艾莱柯，这可太让人扫兴了！从那以后，又是长长的一队2你甩了两个二等男爵，换成两个男爵；甩了这两个男爵，又换成了两个子爵；子爵换成伯爵；伯爵换成侯爵；侯爵再换成公爵。艾莱柯，现在该兑现了吧！——这把牌你已经打到头了。你把四个公爵放在手里挑三拣四。他们的国籍各不相同；个个都美名远扬，血统纯正，谱系清楚；个个都破了产，背了一屁股债。他们要价不低，可咱们能出得起呀。好了，艾莱柯，别再拖了，别再犹豫不决了：把一副牌都摆开，让姑娘们自个儿挑吧！”

在萨利对艾莱柯的婚姻战略大张挞伐的过程中，她一直面带温柔而沉稳的笑容。她的眼里闪出一丝快意的光芒，那似乎是得胜时流露出的欣慰的惊诧。她用尽可能平静的口气说：

“萨利，要不，咱们就找个——找个皇族吧？”

真不得了哇！这可怜的人儿一下子昏了头，跌倒在船侧的龙骨板上，小腿被错架擦破了一层皮。有一阵儿，他两眼直冒金星，后来清醒了、才一瘸一拐地走过去坐在妻子身边。他那双朦朦胧胧的眼睛，向妻子倾诉着当年的那种赞美和爱意。

“老天爷！”他热情洋溢地说，“艾莱柯，你真棒——你是全世界最棒的女人！你真是莫测高深，我服了。我一直以为有资格对你的规划指手划脚。就我！还指手划脚呢！假如我停住嘴想一想，就能明白你的锦囊妙计了。亲爱的心肝，我总是这么毛手毛脚，沉不住气——给我讲讲吧！”

这位受了奉承、喜气洋洋的女人凑到他的耳边，悄悄说了一个王子的名字。听了这个名字，他屏住呼吸，乐得脸上放光。

“天哪！”他说，“你抓得真准！他开了一家赌场，还管着一块墓地，一个主教和一座教堂——全都是他自己的产业。全都稳赚百分之五百。他的股无可挑剔，在欧洲都是数得着的金筹股产业。那块墓地——在全世界是优中选优的：除了自杀的，其他鬼谢绝入内；真的，再说，免费埋葬期已经截止，不再优惠了。那个公园地盘不大，不过也够用了：墓地里面有八百英亩，外面有四十二英亩。这是个君主国——这一点至关重要；至于地盘大小倒是无所谓。要光是贪图地盘的话，上撒哈拉大沙漠呀。”

艾莱柯心潮澎湃，她高兴极了。她说：

“你想想，萨利——这个家族从来没有跟欧洲皇亲国戚之外的人通过婚：咱们的外孙子可以登基了！”

“千真万确，艾莱柯——还得手握权杖；外孙子拿着权杖随随便便，满不在乎，就像我拿着一把尺似的。艾莱柯，你抓得太准了。他已经攥在你手心里头了，是不是？跑不了吧？你没给他留活口吧？”

“没留。你就等好消息吧。他不是一份债务，而是一笔资产。另外那个也一样。”

“那一个是谁，艾莱柯？”

“是西基斯蒙德一西格弗里德一劳恩费尔德一丁克尔斯皮尔一施瓦岑伯格一布鲁特沃斯特殿下，卡普雅默世袭大公。”

“不可能！你是开玩笑吧！”

“千真万确，绝无虚言。”她答道。

他万分激动，兴高采烈地把她搂在怀里，说：

“真是太神奇、太美妙了！这是三百六十四个古日耳曼诸侯国中历史最悠久、贵族味最浓的一个，也是俾斯麦取消割据后很少几个允许保留族产的王室之一。我知道那个庄园，我去过那儿。那儿有一个制绳作坊，一个蜡烛厂，还有一支军队。一支常备军。步兵骑兵都有。有三个兵，一匹马。艾莱柯，咱们漫长的等待旅途既有伤心，也有希望，上苍有眼，我现在真高兴。我又高兴，又感激你，亲爱的，这都是你的功劳。定下日子了吗？”

“下个周日。”

“太好了。咱们要把这两桩婚事按照最时兴的盛典规矩来办。要符合男方王室家族的身份。据我所知，对王室来说只有一种形式的婚姻是神圣的，也只有王室才配：那就是与民女联姻。”

“干吗要这样叫呢，萨利？”

“不知道。不管怎样，这是王室的作派，只有王室才配。”

“那咱们就照章办事。而且——我还非要这样办不可。要结就按和民女联姻的排场办，不这样办就别结。”

“一言为定！”萨利一边说，一边高兴得摩拳擦掌，“这在美国可是头一份啊。艾莱柯，这场婚礼非让新港那儿的人都得了红眼病不可。”

他们又陷入沉默，幻想的翅膀飘然而起，飞向全球的各个角落，邀请所有的王公贵族和他们的家人，并且白送他们路费。